WHITE-BELLIED SWALLOW 



45 



as far as the District of Maine, where I have myself seen them; and 

 my friend Mr. Gardiner informs me^ that they are found on the 

 coast of Long Island and its neighbourhood. About the middle of 

 July I observed many hundreds of these birds sitting on the flat 

 sandy beach near the entrance of Great Egg-Harbour. They were 

 also very numerous among the myrtles of these low islands, com- 

 pletely covering some of the bushes. One. man told me, that he 

 saw one hundred and two shot at a single discharge. For some 

 time before their departure they subsist principally on the myrtle 

 berries (myrica cerifera) and become extremely fat. They leave 

 us early in September. 



This species appears to have remained hitherto undescribed, 

 owing to the misapprehension before mentioned. It is not per- 

 haps quite so numerous as the preceding, and rarely associates 

 with it to breed, never using mud of any kind in the construction 

 of its nest. 



The White-bellied Swallow is five inches and three quarters 

 long, and twelve inches in extent; bill and eye black; upper parts 

 a light glossy greenish blue; wings brown black, with slight re- 

 flexions of green ; tail forked, the two exterior feathers being about 

 a quarter of an inch longer than the middle ones, and all of a uni- 

 form brown black; lores black ; whole lower parts pure white; 

 wings when shut extend about a quarter of an inch beyond the tail ; 

 legs naked, short and strong, and, as well as the feet, of a dark 

 purplish flesh color; claws stout. 



The female has much less of the greenish gloss than the male, 

 the colors being less brilliant; otherwise alike. 



VOL. V. 



M 



